By

Lisa Elbert

Jon McDaniel pours a glass of Coda di Volpe

Sommelier Jon McDaniel built the wine program at Coda di Volpe around its oft-blended namesake grape. “It tastes like Pinot Grigio on steroids,” says McDaniel. The weighty, mineral-forward, intensely aromatic (like a dry tropical breeze) white grapes grow in foxtail-shaped clusters in the foothills of Mount Vesuvius and nowhere else on earth. It’s rarely poured in its single varietal incarnation—unless you’re dining with McDaniel and Chef Chris Thompson. “We’re serious about Southern Italy. We have a great partnership [with Cantina del Taburno], and we’re changing how the winery works. They’re starting to make more Coda di Volpe, and we’re bringing it back to the U.S. market.” You can get in on the grape for $12 a glass.